Watch Robodog Rip Off A Model’s Clothes During Paris Fashion Week
A robodog helped steal the show at Paris Fashion Week by helping a model remove her jacket on the runway.
You’ve seen the Boston Dynamics robodog do plenty of interesting things, but now it’s apparently worth walking the runway with models at Paris Fashion Week. The fashion label Coperni brought the dog Spot to help model Rianne Van Rompaey remove her jacket. Check out the slightly creepy video below:
Coperni posted about the robodog in an Instagram post, where the fashion brand described the concept behind the show. Coperni talked about their Fall Winter 23 collection about the relationship between humans and technology. Specifically, the show was inspired by the Jean de la Fontaine fable The Wolf and the Lamb.
However, the fashion brand reimagined the tale to show how humans and machines, like robodogs, can live in harmony. While the show certainly showed some collaboration between humans and machines, there are some scary uses for these machines that the fashion show doesn’t really take into account. Namely, machines like Spot are already being used for military applications.
For instance, Ghost Dynamics revealed a robodog with a sniper rifle attachment not long ago, which would certainly be incongruous with Coperni’s more positive messaging. While Boston Dynamics has pledged not to allow their robots to be weaponized, the military still uses Spot for surveillance and other activities. Coperni has a point with their show, which is that machines can definitely be used for less nefarious purposes, for example, operating a McDonald’s.
With that being said, the ideal, ethical use of robodogs isn’t necessarily going to be a reality. Boston Dynamics is one of the more advanced companies in these types of robotics, but it will take more than just one company pledging not to weaponize its products. Plenty of companies, like Ghost Dynamics, will be more than happy to weaponize robots and sell them for a high price.
Of course, robodogs like the ones made by Ghost Dynamics aren’t the first “killer robots,” as we’ve had drone technology for years. Drones have been used as destructive weapons, and there’s no reason to think that these dogs won’t be used in similar ways soon enough. Just because robot technology is capable of killing doesn’t mean more types of killer robots should be produced.
That isn’t to say that robodogs like Spot don’t have their uses. As Coperni’s post points out, Spot is capable of doing autonomous inspections of power generation facilities, nuclear sites, factory floors, construction projects, research laboratories, and more. This can save time and resources while also ensuring the robot can assess potential safety dangers, rather than a human having to do.
Robodogs are also capable of assessing hazardous situations for first responders. This can help them ensure a scene is safe before venturing in and offering aid. So, it isn’t all bad.
Still, no one wants Terminator-style robodogs. One can hope that everyone will follow Boston Dynamics’ lead and ensure that these robots aren’t weaponized. But it seems pretty unlikely this will be the case as long as there’s money from the military-industrial complex on the table.
